The testing of solid, semi-solid, or liquid specimens such as stool, blood, urine, saliva, or swab specimens of the cervix, urethra, nostril, or throat, as well as environmental specimens, such as food products, soil and dust, often requires pre-treating the specimens with a test buffer. Pre-treating the specimens helps to dilute the specimen, extract substances to be detected from the specimen, or alter the specimen or substances. This pre-treatment results in a new sample solution that is more suitable for the test substance to be detected. Typically, the collected specimen is pre-mixed with the test buffer in a container separate from the test device used to detect the presence of a particular test substance. In most testing protocols, a portion of the resulting sample solution is transferred to a second test location for reacting with a reagent to obtain a test result that indicates the presence or quantity of the test substance in the specimen. For example, in a fecal occult blood test, a plastic tube is used to suspend the fecal specimen in a test buffer, which dissolves the blood components of the specimen. A breakable part of the plastic tube is then severed and a portion of the sample solution is released from the tube to a second device, which is used to conduct an immunological hemoglobin test. The test result is read at a test area of the test device.
The procedures for severing the specimen treatment tube and transferring the sample solution from the specimen treatment tube to the test device complicates the test methods by requiring multiple steps. By requiring that the sample be transferred, the work area may be contaminated due to sample leakage. Also, transferring the sample solution may lead to inaccurate results because of the possible transfer of inaccurate test volumes. These methods are not convenient for onsite testing by non-laboratory trained users. What is needed is a more simple, safe, and accurate method of testing of solid, semi-solid, or liquid specimens.